Global Village, IPM 2008 Republic of Macedonia

Harder than… buy tickets in Egypt!!!!

We went by metro to bus and train main station in el Cairo, the first shock was that when people wants to get out/in from the train people don’t wait for you, they just trying to do both things at the same time, that’s why we miss our first stop, hopefully we could take a train back without problems.

In the Train Station, only ask for information is very difficult, as I mencionate before, few people speaks English, well… we trying to get a ticket to Aswan (there are 13 hours by train) and spend the night in the train, we try to get the train for 00:30… we wanted to go in second class (50 LE) so is ok, almost 10 USD, however the guy who sales the ticket just didn’t want to sell any ticket just becouse other guy say something about him, so we were waiting almos 2 hours!!! Is weird, noone complains, not even when the ticket’s guy was smoking, resting, drinking coffee, and chilling out with others!!!... We were piss off and we decided to take first class ticket or any ticket…. but no free space there. L

It was almost midnight and we meet a guy who was trying to sells us a Tour to Luxor for 5 days, it sound cool, it was almost all covered (even cheaper than the IPM Study Tour)… the problem was that we haven’t enough money at the moment, we were specting have a bagpacker trip, but in a tour is different, you need to be prepared and travel more confortable… at the end we decide to not take de tour (just a hunch), and went back to Piero’s apartment… but the metro was closed…. About the prize… not even close of the real prize!!! But that history is for other post…

Going back home! Is totally an ISSUE. After, today I learn a lot of tips! As few people speaks or have a basic level of English in Egypt, is always necessary to have any main information translated in Arabic, for example… THE ADRESS!!!! And the NUMBERS!!!! The cab driver didn’t speak English at all, so I write the spected cost in my hand… the driver took my pencil and write the prize…. When I saw how much was the travel…. I saw two weird icons, it was in ARABIC!!! But the driver was a smart guy, he took two billets and shows us, and we just say yes! Let’s get out from here!!!! (midnight, downtown, no English speaking country…)

The second thing was the Adress, the guy just lost! How difficul could be find a place calle El Maadi! …. We figure out, that place was four times bigger than San Juan de Lurigancho! Hahahahaha…. The funny thing is when the driver asked for direction to one guy in the street, the guy just only hop in and went with us, and thanks to him we finally get back home… so also write the address in native language…. Now we are in home, but we will travel the next day… hahahaha this adventure is amazing!!!!!! (Hope my parents were not reading this…. :P)

A HARD decision!!! ... Traveling in Egypt!!!

We had almost 5 days off after IPM, so we had to make an important decision, we have three main turistic places we need to go, but only 5 days is no enough to know all of them…. The three top destinations are…. Luxor and Aswan is called the world greatest open air museum… we have Karnak and Luxor, Nile River, Necropolis, Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens, this destination takes 5 days!!! …. The second one is Alexandria, were we can find the ancient civilization of greats ships! Lend of Romans, Persians or Greeks on the amazing land of….. Alexander the Great! And the Pharos is one the Seven Wonders of the World!!!... The third option is go to Sinai… we are taking about the oldest and most famous natural monuments on earth (Biblically Speaking) the St. Catherine’s Monastery, was constructed in 527. It’s built around what is thought to be Moses’ Burning Bush, which has a chapel built atop it.

It was a hard decision to make, so…. And now starts the Victor & Yoel Adventures in Arabic Lands…..

MCPs road to Egypt!!!!

Two aiesecers, very excited!!! two country leaders!!! two peruvian representatives!!! who travel more than 20 hours!!!!.... crossing the Atlantic and The Mediterranean Sea!!!!... 4 Airports!!!!.... 3 Continents!!!!!.... arrived to the International Cairo Airport with a lot of emotion!!!! and...... we spend 1 hour in inmigration, and 2 hours waiting for someone to pick us up!!!! hahahahaha

First cultural shock!!! is frozen in el Cairo!!!!!! We will kill the guy who put in the delegates mailing "bring your summer clother, is sunny in Egypt" ..... 2nd cultural shock!!! there are no toilet paper in the toilets!!!!! only flush and left hand!!!! ahhhhhh hopefully we had a lot of toilet paper (thanks momm) !!!! 3rd cultural shock, the study tour covers 2 options, regular without security, and special with military security... i mean with bodyguards ..... weir!!!! 4th cultural shock.... almost noone speack english!!!! ahhhh is hard try to say something!!!!! 5th cultural shock!!!! you can not touch a girl, at least she is your girlfriend or even more, your wife!!!! buaaaaaaaaaa

Hahahaa, well is the first history of two Peruvians in Egypt!!! but we still have a lot to tell.....

Don't forget the next reports, .... heheheh

OC Experience.... what a experience!!!!

There is something that we always say to one of my MC Team in any random discussion, “Is because you never were OC”, we all laugh for a while and then we continue with our job.

But, what means been part of an OC Team? what is the difference? Or why is that a difference? Well, to understand this we need to specify first what is the kind of OC are we talking about.

Starting from above, we have the OC from Small Activity like welcome party, or any other party, the barbeque OC, the legislation OC, the cultural presentation OC, the global village OC, the Team Building OC, and on and on; we can see that all those activities are important, but we are talking about a big changing experience, what means a strong leadership role from the OCP, that’s why is defined a leadership role when you work with you OC for at least 3 months, you have plan and budget, and also the evaluation from your directors.

The real OC experience, now this is different, activities like National Conference OC, the National PboX OC (now this role is changing not as OC, but yes as a real leadership position, this issue will be discussed in other blog file), or any National activity.

The top OC Experience, well I just can only saw from outside, we are talking about OC from Regional LDS or XPRO, about IC, ITC, or IPM, (any ILM) those OC or CC (congress committee) experience, for sure are very demanding for any AIESEC member.

What do you learn? Working with a lot of stress, coordination, really really team work, yeees in my opinion, in the OC is when you really improve your TEAM MANAGEMENT skills, financial skills, you need to be ready for make very fast decisions. In my recommendation, if you really want to be an LC EB member (very recommended for LCP), this is a very very good learning experience.

Mmm something for add, I hear a lot of histories about past OCs, histories that you can’t imagine, and when you hear it, you get shocked, for example….

When 4 days before the conference the hotel manager calls you and say: “We had a big problem with the government, we can’t host any event in the coming month”, but you know, there are 100 delegates coming, we have external, half of the delegation is already traveling to the conference, so do you cancel the conference? Do look for other hotel?... mmmm

What happened if you check your financial statement and your number are in red, you need to pay to the hotel, all the delegates are already in the hotel, but you can not afford it… You look for other hotel? (remember the delegates are already here) what kind of hotel? (you don’t have enough money), tomorrow the conference should start (it means there are more delegates coming tomorrow), people needs to eat, because it covers the conference fee (but you don’t have enough money)…… mmmmm

Is the closing plenary, all delegates are in the conference room ready to go back home, but you didn’t pay the rest of the money to the hotel(you don’t have the money) and the manager orders to close the doors and don’t let anyone to leave, like is the last day, a lot of delegates will travel to their countries the same day… and the manager won’t negotiate with you, he only wants the money.

Finally, I can say that no matter what happened during your OC term, remember first what you lived, the emotions, stress, management, learning, skills, and more stress, hehhehehe. All those are learning points for all your life.

Añorando ser Newie otra vez

Uno de los más gratos recuerdos que un aieseco puede tener, es la época en que es un Newie, un member y en casos un VP; siempre recuerdo las conversaciones con uno de nuestros alumni de la decada de los 80, contando sus travesuras cuando eran aiesecers, y me ponia a pensar, "seguro comentaré nuestras travesuras aiesecas dentro de algunas décadas en reencuentro de alumni"; lo gracioso que ese sentimiento se puede percibir ahora mismo.

Una de mis ultimas conversaciones con amigos de mi promocion aieseca, era: "recuerdas el congreso que nos conocimos???", "ese SDL fué el mejor congreso que he tenido en mi vida", "y la fieeeeesta!!! jajaja, queee fiesta", y asi muchas muchas muchas cosas que recordar, sin embargo toodas esas conversaciones siempre suelen terminar en una frase: "Esas épocas, cuando éramos newies..." o "Me gustaría ser newie otra vez y hacer chongo con los demás...".

Todo ello es también aprendizaje, cuando eres newie, tienes muchas libertades, estas experimentando aiesec, y tienes menos responsabilidades, es una época de oro, porque haces grandes amigos, aprendes bastante, tienes las mejores juergas que puedas recordar (o no recordar), y las mejores anécdotas que contar.... Sin embargo llega el momento en que asumes un puesto de liderazgo fuerte, ya sea OCP de un PBoX, LCEB, o MC.... ahi cambian las cosas, por que desde que asumes el cargo, asumes un monton de responsabilidades, y por sobre todo que te conviertes en un ejemplo que seguir.

El Ejemplo a seguir es todo un Issue, esto te priva de super juergas, no puedes salir muy seguido por que tienes que trabajar en casa, y en todas partes, todos escuchan lo que dices por que sea cual fuere lo que digas, esa será la palabra de tu EB, OC, MC.... y si dices o haces algo, es 99% probable que al dia siguiente se ha creado un rumor que se ha expandido, con algunas variaciones, y multiplicado de tamáño por 10.

Una cosa curiosa que siempre he observado, especialmente en cuanto a juergas, jajaja, (es que solia vivir de juergas cuando estaba en el cole y parte de la universidad), es que cuando era newie, siempre tenia algo que contar del fin de semana, por que siempre habia alguna juerga a donde ir; cuando llegué a ser VP OGX las salidas disminuyeron, ya no con los amigos de la universidad, ahora la mayoría era con aiesecos, pero aun asi habia juergas y siempre habia poca presion laboral; la cosa se puso brava cuando llegué a ser LCP ya que las fiestas se limitaron solo para aiesec, asistía a la gran mayoria de juergas, sin embargo usualmente me sentía agotado, ya que universidad + tesis + trabajo + aiesec te deja poco tiempo, y además, menos gente me hablaba en las fiestas, a excepción de mi EB y los miembros antiguos; ahora como MCP similar, circulos de amigos es solo aiesec, porque no conosco más gente fuera de aiesec en esta ciudad, el trabajo es mayor, la presión por los resultados también, las fiestas ni que decir ya que tratas de disfrutar, pero siempre llega el trabajo en la mente y da ganas de regresar a casa y resolverlo, ahhhh y las conversas siempre son con alumni, mc, miembros antiguos etc, y la tematica solo aiesec. Ahora también en los congresos internacionales, observo a AIESEC International, todos conversando solo con su equipo, y siempre con cara de cansados, al PAI casi ni lo ves, porque viene, saluda, conversa un par de veces, un baile y regresa a trabajar; o simplemente están parados a un costado de la pista de baile, con un vaso de licor en la mano, y mirando a todos divertirse y con la mente "Añorando ser Newie otra vez".

Nuestro Chair del CNV 2007

Añado un pequeño mensaje de alguien que en tan poco tiempo que lo conocí, se volvió un amigo de por vida.... y creo que de eso también se trata AIESEC.... puedes no haber visto a alguien en toooda tu vida, pero el día que lo conoces, te vuelves gran amigo de el, hablan de los mismos intereses, mismas dudas y similares motivaciones.

Gracias Carlos por ser nuestro Chair del CNV, y por imitar tan bien a Prada! jajajaja.

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Que fueeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Mc Peru...!!!

Solo quiero nuevamente darles las gracias enormes por todo todo TODO, enningun momento me senti fuera de casa sino todo lo contrario cada vez quepasaba tiempo con ustedes queria quedarme mas..!!! Muchismas gracias por serparte del final de mi carrera AIESECa, son el exito muchachos y siganadelante...!!!

Deseo de todo corazon que vengan para mi linda Loja, porque aparte de que eshermosa quisiera hacerlos sentir super super super bien asi como yo me sentialla...!!! Por favor venganse para Loja...!!!

Pradita, Yolo, Maga, Sarita, Petrula y Jimmy son mis amigos del alma y jamaslos olvidare, gracias por darme un tesoro mas grande que un evento genial,su amistad por siempre...!!! Gracias muchachos

Yolo mi hermano en el camino de la vida y en la carrera, sino te salen tucosas por aca estoy haciendo realidad mi sueño de formar mi empresa de SW,cuento contigo si te animas :D

Sarita igualmente mucha suerte en todo lo que te propongas y si te animas avenir para Ecuador tienes un amigo en quien confiar.

Pradita, mi hermano un placer conocerte, eres una persona genial y es ungoce imitarte jajajaja 1 abrazote mi hermano

Petrulita, genial, una pelada super super chevere nunca cambies porquechicas como tu no hay muchas

Maguita, mi pana del alma, cuidate mucho y gracias por los chocolates y portodo :D

Jimmy mi querido faraon se que te iras a tu pais de origen jajajaja como ungran MCP y que haras un trabajo muy muy bueno. cuidate muchisimo mi hermano.

Los quiero mucho y cuidense que hay mucha gente que los necesitatodavia..!!!

1 abrazote y estamos en contacto.

Carlitos Valarezo Loaiza
Chair CNV 2007